It did not take long for the Clintons to return to the public arena. Five months since her defeat to Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton is tiptoeing back into the light. She insists she has no plans to run for the White House again. The same applies to Chelsea, her daughter, who has refined the art of the non-denial denial when asked if she will run for office.

Yet there is no question they are returning to public life. That is what the Clintons do. They deny ambition then reluctantly succumb to the duty of public service. It is a prospect that would suit Mr Trump well.

A Clinton revival would be self-defeating on many fronts. First, it would blunt Democratic attacks on Mr Trump’s presidency. Amid fierce competition, the Trump administration’s most shocking feature is how rapidly it has turned into a family business. Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, is the most important figure in the White House. Ivanka, the president’s daughter, sits in a West Wing office. The Chinese wall separating Mr Trump from his business interests is invisible. His two sons, Eric and Donald Junior, manage the Trump brand at supposed arm’s length while coming and going regularly to the White House.